Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: trailer hitch, brakes, and air bags. Most-reported area: engine (82 complaints, 36%; median mileage when it happened: 26,500). Includes the two-row Santa Fe Sport (2016 to 2018), the three-row Santa Fe XL (2019), and the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
3 safety recalls for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership.
NHTSA listing: SANTA FE. Hyundai campaign 244.
Brakes
Feb 3, 2022
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · control unit/module
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles.
The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SANTA FE. Hyundai campaign 177.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 225 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Santa Fe. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine82 · 36%
Median 26,500 miles at failure (20 reports)
Powertrain36 · 16%
Electrical system30 · 13%
Brakes16 · 7%
Body structure15 · 7%
Most named: body (15)
Forward collision avoidance13 · 6%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (6); warnings (5)
Steering13 · 6%
Unknown or other53 · 24%
Median 10,400 miles at failure (20 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Santa Fe recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2019 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 Santa Fe drew the most (260) and the 2019 drew 72.
Owner complaints
2019: 225 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Santa Fe
Model year
Complaints
2016
305
2017
1,316
2018
429
2019
225
2020
213
2021
186
2022
263
2023
287
2024
184
2025
223
2026
49
Safety recalls
2019: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Santa Fe
Model year
Recalls
2016
3
2017
7
2018
5
2019
3
2020
2
2021
8
2022
8
2023
2
2024
7
2025
5
2026
4
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD
Rollover risk 14.6%
Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.5%
Hyundai Santa Fe XL SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.7%
Hyundai Santa Fe XL SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.0%
Questions
What are the most common 2019 Santa Fe problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (82), powertrain (36), electrical system (30). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Santa Fe has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SANTA FE, SANTA FE XL.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.